AISC

IDEAS² Awards

Submissions for the 2019 IDEAS2 Awards are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry in the competition! The winners will be notified in December 2018 and announced in early 2019.

Sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction, the Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS2) recognizes projects where structural steel has been utilized in an innovative manner. The innovative use of structural steel may be in:

the accomplishment of the structure's program

the expression of architectural intent

the application of innovative design approaches to the structural system

the utilization of productivity enhancing construction methods

Awards

A panel of design and construction industry professionals will judge the entries in three categories according to constructed value in US dollars: Less than $15 million; $15 million to $75 million; and Greater than $75 million. There is also a category for sculptures, art installations and non-building structures.

National and Merit awards, recognition for sculptures/art installations/non-building structures, and the Presidential Award of Excellence are bestowed at the judges' discretion. Projects selected for recognition will be announced at the 2019 NASCC: The Steel Conference in St. Louis, April 3-5. Awards will be presented at the project sites in speial presentations to which the project team and local dignitaries will be invited. Winning projects will also be featured in the May 2019 issue of Modern Steel Construction magazine.

Project Basis

The design and construction industry is growing in recognition of the value of coordination, collaboration and teamwork in the successful accomplishment of a project's program. In active support of this trend, AISC has brought together previously separate architectural and structural engineering award programs that focused on a single aspect of the building project into a single program designed to recognize excellence and innovation in the use of structural steel on a comprehensive, project basis. Awards will be made to the project recognizing and awarding all members of the project's team involved with the structural framing system: architectural firm, structural engineering firm of record, general contractor, detailer, fabricator, erector as well as the project owner. Specialty consultants and contractors will be recognized at the discretion of the architect and structural engineer of record. Any member of the project team may submit a project for consideration.

Eligibility

A significant portion of the framing system of the project must be wide-flange or hollow structural steel sections (HSS). Pedestrian bridges entered in the competition must be an intrinsic part of a building; not stand-alone structures. New buildings and renovations are eligible. At least 50% of the structural steel for the project must have been fabricated by a company eligible for AISC full membership, or a unique or distinctive feature of the project must have been fabricated by a company eligible for AISC full membership. Projects must have been completed in the U.S. between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

The aesthetic impact of the project, particularly in the coordination of structural steel elements with other materials

Innovative uses of architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS)

Advancements in the use of structural steel, either technically or in the architectural expression

The use of innovative design and construction methods such as 3D building models, interoperability, early integration of steel fabricators, alternative methods of project delivery and sustainability considerations

The information provided to the jury should not repeat what is already made clear in the graphic submittal, but it should include project intentions—program requirements, site features, cost data, etc. The description and graphics are necessary to assist the jury in quickly developing a sound understanding of both general characteristics of the building project and the specific way in which it demonstrates design excellence.

Print quality photographs, images and graphics are important to the judging process and should provide an adequate basis for a sound and comprehensive evaluation of the structure of design.

Images should be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi), four inches wide or wider, and submitted as jpeg, tiff or eps files

Images can be of exterior and interior of the structure as well as the construction and erection

A total of 19 images and/or drawings per entry may be uploaded to the entry form.

Any necessary credits for photos, images and graphics

Submitted photographs and images used for exhibition of publication purposes will bear the customary photograph credit line. However, AISC is not responsible for errors or omissions. AISC reserves the privilege of retaining possession of all materials for reproduction and subsequent exhibition. Submitting firms, companies and project photographers agree to the release of the photographs and images submitted for use by AISC.

If more than one photographer's photos are submitted in an entry, each photo's filename should denote the name of the specific photographer to be credited. (Example of a filename: Willis Tower exterior.JohnSmith.jpg

Project DetailsWhile the following are not requirements, at a minimum, a selection of exterior, interior and steel construction images—with photo credit designations—should accompany each entry.

At least one image showing each exposed side of the building or environment.

At least one additional image showing the immediate context of each exposed side of the building or environs (omit if the project's relationship to its environs is clearly defined in other images).

For a group of buildings, at least one image of the project sufficient to illustrate the concept, including its relationship to its environs.

For projects involving exterior alterations, at least one images of each altered (exposed side) together with at least one image of the side before alteration (unless evidence is submitted on the unavailability of the latter).

A site plan, floor plan and one or more sections sufficient to explain the project solution.

To be eligible, submitters agree to abide by all rules and regulations of AISC's 2019 IDEAS2 Awards program. AISC is not responsible for errors or omissions in entries.

Building projects in AISC's 2019 competition must be located in the U.S. and be completed between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

At least 50% of the structural steel for the project must have been fabricated by a company eligible for AISC full membership or a unique or distinctive feature of the project must have been fabricated by a company eligible for AISC full membership.

A significant portion of the framing system of a building must be wideflange or hollow structural steel sections (HSS).

New buildings, expansions, and renovation projects (major retrofits and rehabilitations) are eligible.

Pedestrian bridges entered in the competition must be an intrinsic part of a building and not stand-alone structures. If you would like to enter a bridge project, view the National Steel Bridge Alliance's Prize Bridge Awards.

Firms and companies may submit multiple building projects.

Each submittal will be considered separately.

Any member of the project team may enter a project in the awards program.

Acceptance of this agreement authorizes AISC to disclose information about the recipient of the award and the building project.

Project team members of winning projects should expect to be asked for additional information and commentary about their projects by representatives of AISC and the media.

Submitted photographs and images used for exhibition or publication purposes will bear the customary photographer's credit line. AISC reserves the privilege of retaining possession of all materials for reproduction and subsequent exhibition. Submitting firms and companies and project photographers agree to the release of the photographs and images submitted for use by AISC.

Aesthetic and visual impact of the project particularly in the coordination of structural steel elements with other materials

Innovative uses of architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS)

Advances in the use of structural steel either technically or in architectural expression

Use of innovative design and construction methods such as 3D building models, interoperability, early integration of specialty contractors such as steel fabricators, alternative methods of project delivery or other productivity enhancements